Fred Couples: I won't play Scotland any more after back injury

Apr 13 2008 By Euan Mclean

FRED COUPLES says Scotland may have seen the last of him as a dodgy back has forced him to retire from competing outside the United States.

The former Masters champion, 48, has been a popular figure at the Barclays Scottish Open.

On his last trip two years ago he even stayed around all week to soak up the atmosphere - despite having pulled out before the tournament when his back flared up.

But Couples now won't travel across the Atlantic for any more tournaments with the only possible exception being The Open.

He said: "My travelling days are pretty much done. I would love to come back to places like Loch Lomond but it's just too much now.

"If I qualify for The Open I might go across but that would be the limit.

"It's a shame because the last time I was at Loch Lomond I had a ball. I never played because of my back but itwas the best weather ever. I loved it.

"I haven't been on a transatlantic flight since then. In the past I enjoyed going to events in Germany and Asia.

But it's just too much strain on my back now."